Forest Hills Stadium — Dylan goes electric 1965

On August 28, 1965 -- just weeks after the Newport Folk Festival controversy -- Bob Dylan performed at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in Queens. He opened the show solo with acoustic guitar and harmonica, then returned for a second set backed by Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Harvey Brooks, and Al Kooper. The hostile reaction from a significant portion of the 13,000-strong crowd was immediate: objects were thrown, fans attempted to drag musicians from their instruments, and booing competed with cheering throughout the electric half. Dylan reportedly joked from the stage: 'It looks like the attack of the Beatniks around here.'

Forest Hills Stadium was built in 1923 as the home of the West Side Tennis Club and hosted the US Open tennis championships until 1978. The August 28, 1965 concert is particularly significant because it established the blueprint for the electric concert format Dylan would use through his entire 1966 world tour: acoustic solo first half, full-band electric second half. The show also premiered 'Desolation Row' live, before Highway 61 Revisited had even been released in shops. It was a pivotal night in rock history -- the night Dylan made clear to a hostile audience that he intended to keep going regardless.

Forest Hills Stadium continues to operate as a concert venue, restored and relaunched in 2012 after years of underuse. It now hosts dozens of concerts per summer season. The West Side Tennis Club still occupies the grounds, and a historical display within the stadium acknowledges its rich concert history, which includes the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and many others. The stadium is a New York City landmark.